COVID

‘Mental disorder burden highest among 15- to 19-year-olds’: What this means for young India

A new study published in The Lancet found that India witnessed some of the sharpest increases in mental disorders over the past three decades. Dr Damian Santomauro, lead author of the study, told Firstpost that this is concerning in countries where young people make up a substantial proportion of the population

Fact-check: Is hantavirus a side effect of Covid-19 vaccine?

Social media claims linking Pfizer’s Covid-19 vaccine to hantavirus infection are misleading. A fact-check shows that the condition was only listed as a potential adverse event for monitoring and not a confirmed side effect

From hantavirus to norovirus: Why cruise ships are a hotbed for deadly disease outbreaks

Eight people linked to the MV Hondius hantavirus outbreak have fallen ill so far, including three deaths, while over 115 passengers and crew aboard another vessel, the Caribbean Princess, contracted norovirus. Health experts say dense populations, shared spaces and enclosed environments make cruise ships highly susceptible to infectious disease outbreaks

WHO pandemic treaty’s final talks start as Global North vs South divide remains wide

Final talks for the WHO’s pandemic treaty began today in Geneva, but negotiators from the Global North and South remain at odds over the Pathogen Access and Benefit-Sharing (PABS) system — a framework for the exchange of pathogens for research and benefits of that research, such as vaccines, tests, and therapeutics.

Did 60,000 die in Germany because of Covid vaccine? Debunking the Musk-backed viral claim

A testimony by a former Pfizer toxicologist to the German parliament about the safety of Covid vaccines has gained a backer in Elon Musk. The billionaire has claimed that his second jab ‘almost sent him to the hospital’. The claims by the expert and the X owner have once again renewed interest in the efficacy of jabs

Cicada Covid Variant BA.3.2 spreads to 20 countries: Is India at risk?

BA.3.2, nicknamed Cicada, has spread to at least 23 countries, including the US. The highly mutated Covid-19 variant could evade existing immunity and vaccination formulations, experts say. Does India need to be on alert?

War vs Covid: Why the conflict in West Asia is being compared to the pandemic

The war in West Asia is nearing the one-month mark. Since the start of the conflict, markets have tanked, and oil prices have soared. This has caused many countries, especially in Asia, to impose fuel-saving measures, evoking memories of the Covid pandemic when work from home and other curbs were introduced

What is BA.3.2, the new Covid variant spreading across US? Is it a cause of concern?

BA.3.2, an emerging Covid variant, has reportedly been detected in half of the United States and 22 other countries. The variant has as many as 75 mutations, far more than other strains. Dubbed 'Cicada', the strain could evade protection from current vaccines, researchers say. It was first detected in a respiratory sample in South Africa in November 2024

Amid Iran war, crude crosses $100 mark. How oil prices have swung dramatically

Crude oil prices have crossed $100 a barrel amid the ongoing Iran war. However, this is not the first time crude prices have soared; earlier during Russia's invasion of neighbouring Ukraine, cost of one barrel reached $100, while during the Covid pandemic, prices dipped to as low as minus $40.32

Can a Chinese drug help India tackle Nipah virus?

As the Nipah cases in India raise worries across Asia, a new study by Chinese researchers has claimed that an existing oral antiviral medication can help prevent the spread of the deadly virus. VV116, a nucleoside drug, was originally developed to treat Covid-19. How does it work against the Nipah virus?